LASIMRA promises to support state’s IGR drive

General Manager, Lagos State Infrastructure Maintenance and Regulatory Agency (LASIMRA), Babajide Odekunle has assured members of the House Committee on Physical Planning and Urban Development, State House of Assembly of the agency’s commitment to support the Internal Generated Revenue (IGR) drive of the government.

The LASIMRA boss also assured the lawmakers of the agency’s readiness to surpass the target, given to it by the end of the fiscal year 2016.

Briefing members of the committee during a familiarization tour to LASIMRA office recently, Odekunle disclosed that the agency has commenced four pilot scheme projects that are aimed towards enhancing its performance and service delivery to the state.

Meanwhile the Chairman of the Committee, David Sentoji commended the agency for its innovations, ideas and achievements, towards enhancing performance and service delivery to the state.

Sentoji said the committee is impressed with the activities of the agency as he also promised their full support for LASIMRA, based on the new ideas and innovation been implemented.

He added that the meeting was facilitated to get his committee acquainted with the activities of the agency “as part of our oversight function, which is aimed at establishing the full support of the committee members.”

Odekunle said LASIMRA, being the only organ of government that is empowered to monitor the erection of towers, masts and laying of cables within the state, is also statutorily empowered to prevent the breaking of roads without permit and ensure a disaster free environment, by approving the erection of standardised masts and towers parabolic antennae among other communications infrastructure.

While highlighting his achievements within six months of resumption to office, he said, “The agency has succeeded in conducting training for secretaries and engineers, as he promised that other capacity building sessions would come up in the course of the year.

“Other achievements recorded so far include overhauling the agency’s website, creation of three additional departments, which are commercial, Projects Management and Engineering/Design Department.”

He said the Tower Regulation Project would be targeted at Banks I.S.P’s that uses sub-standard structures while the camouflage antennas involves operators of water tanks; bill boards that hide their base stations on water stanchions without permit.

“The Telco sites Audit entails the inspection of all base stations, generator sounds, drainage and shelter conditions and the network audit would enable the LASIMRA to have accurate as-built data base of all facilities under the ground,” he explained.

He also briefed the legislators that the agency still charges N500 per meter as against Ogun and Osun state, which charges N8, 000.00 and N5, 000.00 per meter respectively.